Stayed there too but I had hot water.

The main reason I have SPG is because of the availability and better properties overseas (esp. Asia), however I've found some great spots in the US. For me, Marriott and SPG and the two best programs for me to have and I mix and match depending on where I am and why I'm there.

All of the above. When I ask, I often receive lounge access and/or a corner or larger room. Without asking, I received an upgrade to a multi-level suite (but that was in GUA).

My EWR-DUB flight is zeroed out in Y, odds on an op-up or bump? flight shows J7.

You are such a bump wh:eek:re ;)

I noticed the DL rebranding going on at MSP too when I was there two weeks ago. Not only were some of the gates starting to get the DL makeover, but I saw one of nearly every aircraft type NW flies in DL colors, including a 744, 330, 320, 319, 752, and DC-9.

As for ATL, it would be nice if CO could move, although I don't know if there's really enough room for them in the north end of Concourse T. CO has four or five gates at ATL now, and often has planes at all of them. UA has only a couple of gates, and while they aren't used as much as CO's are, there just really aren't that many T North gates. A more likely scenario is probably UA moving to the old NW gates, which are adjacent to CO's in Concourse D.

I am curious to see if DL somehow finds a way to get a CRC in Concourse D, since it's the only one without a CRC. That's not been as much of an issue with CO in SkyTeam, but the DL flights that operate out of D are soon going to be left with no convenient lounge access.

Yes.:D:D:D

As a plat (which means nothing other than cl access and a welcome gift), I receive an upgrade (suite) sometimes on paid stays and almost always on point stays. I fail to understand that logic, but there you have it.

If I am going to be an arm chair airport manager. Here's how I would do it.

NW -> T, UA -> D, DL's D operation to -> C, and FL's C operation -> D. That would probably make the most sense. But AirTran has be complaining about the amount of gates it has and this wouldn't make it any better. It would probably leave some FL gates in C, just because I think FL's C operation is bigger than DL's D operation.

Why not kick DL out of T, move AA to the south side and let UA/CO take over the north end?

Or, better yet, kick DL out of T and have CO/UA take the south end and the existing CRC there.

I like being able to just walk to my gate in five minutes from check-in. That was what I find so convenient about the T gates.

You are the employer, so IMO it is up to you. One way to look at it is that the if BL Jr sits up front with you, the nanny will be off duty during the flight and can rest accordingly. Also, the nanny is not regularly required to travel on longhaul overseas trips. Perhaps if you sent her overseas more often, it would be more appropriate to send her in BF. But if this is rare occurence and you do not expect her to be on call during the flight, I do not think it would be inappropriate if she flew coach. I have seen many nannies in international J, however, so some people must be doing it.

That would work, but I don't see DL ever giving up those T South gates, or the rather large T CRC.

I rarely take the ATL train anymore. I just walk it out to D. Only takes me about 10 minutes to make it there from the north elite security line.

+1

SPG is a necessity for overseas travel, especially in Asia and other more obscure locales. Marriott has no properties in South Africa, for example, and is down to one property (a Courtyard) in Tokyo. In the US, however, I still prefer Marriott.

Yay! North Rim Lodge at the Grand Canyon had a cancellation for one of the nights we want to be there. That room is now ours! At the worst we'll spend the first night in the area in the park, and the second outside the park, which isn't a big deal as the morning after that second night we head for Salt Lake City. The first night was the one we really preferred to be in the park, and now it is!

The supposed CO/UA ground handling "synergies" that are to come might make the equation a little different at places like ATL. If UA took the old NW gates at D, great. It makes CO and UA neighbors. That means that gate availabilities might not be such a problem if they end up using each other's gates when convenient, like in D at PHL. There's got to be times that UA doesn't occupy all of the gates that they have. Then again, they could always go to the LHR route of doing things and try to keep alliances together. If DL gives up T, and CO/UA takes the terminal and the CRC (which would either be a PC or RCC at some point then) then put the rest of *A in Term A for close connections, make the D PC into a CRC, and keep as much of SkyTeam in B/C/D, and move FL to E.